complete zanzibar beach guide

The East Coast of Zanzibar is where the island feels endless — a coastline of wide white sands, glowing lagoons, and winds that carry kites across a turquoise horizon. This is the softer, dreamlike side of Zanzibar, shaped by dramatic tides and quiet village life. At high tide, the ocean becomes a clear blue mirror. At low tide, the world opens into seagrass gardens, sandbars, and shallow pools that stretch toward the sky.

The South Coast of Zanzibar is the island at its most peaceful and authentic — a place of quiet villages, wild mangroves, tidal causeways, and untouched beaches that feel sacred in their stillness. In Kizimkazi, cliffs rise above deep blue water where dolphins glide at dawn. Fumba opens into the sweeping beauty of Menai Bay, with sandbanks glowing under the sun and traditional dhows drifting through turquoise channels. Uzi Island feels otherworldly, connected to the mainland

The North Coast of Zanzibar feels like the island’s most magical edge — a place where white sand meets calm turquoise water and dhows glide across sunsets that look painted by hand. Nungwi brings life, movement, color, and energy, with beach bars glowing at dusk and boats floating gently in the evening breeze. Kendwa offers the opposite rhythm: wide, quiet beaches, open blue water, soft golden light, and romantic calm from sunrise to sunset.